Tiny Matters

Episodios

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  Giant viruses: How these amoeba-infecting behemoths are rewriting the rules of virology 19.08.2026 36m

  Giant viruses have upended how we think of these common pathogens.
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  [BONUS] Fairy tale evolution and the 400(ish) year old elusive Greenland shark: Tiny Show and Tell Us #53 12.08.2026 30m

  How scientists are using evolutionary methods to reconstruct the history of folktales and the debate over the age of the elusive Greenland shark.
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  From cow’s milk to blood banks: The surprising evolution of blood transfusions 05.08.2026 35m

  We trace the fascinating history of blood transfusions.
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  [BONUS] Bread clip taxonomy and power poles on fire: Tiny Show and Tell Us #52 29.07.2026 18m

  How humble plastic bread bag clips that have inspired an entire taxonomy and the perfect conditions for a power pole to go up in flames.
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  Placebo: Why ‘fake’ treatments can have real power 22.07.2026 37m

  A sugar pill shouldn't work as well as a real drug ... except sometimes it does.
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  [BONUS] A pathology lab, a sausage duel, and the fascinating lives of yeast: Tiny Show and Tell Us #51 15.07.2026 23m

  A pathology lab worker shares their experience and we unpack the importance of yeast in the foods we love.
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  Fireworks over millennia: From battlefields and royal displays to sustainable spectacles 08.07.2026 30m

  In medieval Europe, people who worked with early cannons and gunpowder were viewed as untrustworthy, boorish outsiders. But just a few centuries later, as they began creating elaborate fireworks displays for royalty, they went from outcasts to artists. From black powder to modern low-smoke pyrotechnics, in this episode of Tiny Matters we look at the chemistry, engineering, and artistry behind one of humanity's favorite forms of celebration. We also learn how scientists are reinventing pyrotechnics with cleaner-burning compounds that deliver brighter colors and fewer emissions. And check out this video from our friends at Headline Science to get a behind the scenes tour of the Science History Institute’s new exhibit: Flash! Bang! Boom! A History of Fireworks.Check out Simple and Clean here or wherever you listen to podcasts!A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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  [BONUS] The ‘elite neutralizers’ immune to HIV and why galaxies ‘FART’: Tiny Show and Tell Us #50 01.07.2026 16m

  We’re covering galactic gas outflows and antibodies that could neutralize almost any strain of HIV.
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  Collisions in space: Satellites, space debris, and the quest to clean up Earth's orbit 24.06.2026 36m

  In low Earth orbit, tens of thousands of satellites and millions of pieces of debris are hurtling around at incredible speeds.
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  [BONUS] A nitrogen asphyxiation disaster and why ears are incredible: Tiny Show and Tell Us #49 17.06.2026 23m

  In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we unpack a tragic NASA accident in 1981 when technicians, preparing for the maiden voyage of Space Shuttle Columbia, were accidentally poisoned by nitrogen gas. Then guest Mischa Stanton takes us deep inside the human ear. We talk about how vibrations turn into thoughts via the cochlea and basilar membrane and dive into the fascinating world of logarithmic perception.Find Mischa at mischastanton.com.We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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  The Challenger disaster: How a NASA tragedy led to a safer Artemis II 10.06.2026 35m

  How do we learn from tragedy? And can those lessons safely carry us back to the moon?
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  [BONUS] The ‘Plankton Manifesto’ and the birth of MRI: Tiny Show and Tell Us #48 03.06.2026 15m

  Listeners write in about the importance of plankton and how MRI is really just a larger version of NMR.
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  When movies caught fire: The history and science of nitrocellulose film 27.05.2026 36m

  Over 75% of silent films have disappeared. The culprit? Highly flammable film.
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  [BONUS] Von Willebrand disease and how old is the air in your lungs?: Tiny Show and Tell Us #47 20.05.2026 18m

  We cover the most common (and underdiagnosed) bleeding disorder and if we could still be carrying air from our very first breath.
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  ‘Clean beauty’: Cosmetics, chemophobia and the anti-vax pipeline 13.05.2026 34m

  Beauty products today are far safer than they were a century ago, but you could argue that beauty marketing has become far more insidious.
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  [BONUS] The Chemists’ Wars: The Origin Story of Chemistry 11.05.2026 37m

  Chemistry doesn’t just shape conflict — conflict shapes chemistry.
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  [BONUS] Antarctic dinosaurs, blood restriction therapy, and an HIV prevention breakthrough: Tiny Show and Tell Us #46 06.05.2026 41m

  A new HIV prevention still lacking in access, dinosaurs in the chilly Antarctic, and why blood restriction therapy can help with muscle rehabilitation.
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  Deep-sea mining: Environmental uncertainty, ‘Law of the Sea,’ and shark potatoes 29.04.2026 43m

  Deep sea mining has been “just around the corner” for decades. So what’s the holdup?
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  [BONUS] The history of Turner Syndrome and engineering food for bees: Tiny Show and Tell Us #45 22.04.2026 15m

  The history of Turner Syndrome and how researchers are engineering yeast to help honey bees thrive.
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  How soap shaped civilizations — and ‘ruined’ famous art 15.04.2026 30m

  The weird chemistry of soap, what ancient soap was like, and why scientists are finding soap in old oil paintings.